The present invention relates to an automated method for setting clearances between rocker arms and associated rocker arm actuated engine components, such as inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder(s) of internal combustion engines.
As is well known in the art, the operation of inlet and exhaust valves in internal combustion engines is often controlled by a rocker arm that reciprocates about a rocker shaft. A first end of the rocker arm, located on a first side of the rocker shaft, is reciprocated by a push rod connected to a cam follower, which in turn is driven by a cam mounted on a camshaft. The second end of the rocker arm, located on the second side of the rocker shaft, drives the valve stem of an inlet or exhaust valve that is spring-biased into a normally closed position. Each inlet valve and each exhaust valve has an associated rocker arm. When the valves associated with a particular piston are fully closed (i.e. when the piston is in its top dead center (TDC) position on the compression stroke of a four stroke engine), a certain predetermined clearance is required between the second end of the rocker arm and the end of the valve stem which is contacted by the rocker arm in operation of the engine. This clearance must be set within fine tolerances, typically of the order of +/xe2x88x922/1000 inch (0.051 mm). The process of setting this clearance is referred to herein as xe2x80x9cvalve clearance settingxe2x80x9d and is commonly referred to in the art as xe2x80x9ctappet settingxe2x80x9d in the United Kingdom or xe2x80x9cvalve lash settingxe2x80x9d in the USA.
The valve clearance is typically adjusted by means of a threaded adjustment screw that extends through the first end of the rocker arm and is seated in a cup formed in the end of the push rod. The adjustment screw may be locked in the required position by a lock nut, or may be a friction screw or the like which does not require a lock nut.
The combination of the cam, cam follower, push rod, adjustment screw, rocker arm and rocker shaft is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cvalve drive trainxe2x80x9d.
Conventionally, valve clearances are adjusted manually, by use of a feeler gauge which is inserted between the second end of the rocker arm and the end of the valve stem whilst manually adjusting the adjustment screw at the first end of the rocker arm. This process is labor intensive, time consuming and relatively inaccurate/inconsistent. It would clearly be desirable to automate the process of valve clearance setting. To date, however, attempts at automation have failed to deliver satisfactory results.
One previously proposed method of performing automatic valve clearance setting utilizes an automatic machine tool for adjusting the adjustment screw, a linear position sensor which senses the position of the second end of the rocker arm and a linear actuator having a clip member which engages the rocker arm on the second side of the rocker shaft and which is capable of pushing the rocker arm in its valve-actuating direction and pulling the rocker arm in the opposite direction. This method comprises the steps of pushing the second end of the rocker arm in its valve-actuating direction to a predetermined zero position (reference datum) in which the second end of the rocker arm contacts the end of the valve stem but does not displace it from its normally closed position, pulling the rocker arm in the opposite direction by an amount sufficient to remove all backlash from the valve drive train, and adjusting the adjustment screw against the pulling force until the position sensor indicates that the second end of the rocker arm is at a predetermined distance (the required valve clearance) from the zero position. As used herein, xe2x80x9cbacklashxe2x80x9d refers generally to clearances between adjacent, mutually coupled components and is not restricted to clearances between relatively rotatable components. The backlash in the valve drive train additionally includes backlash between the rocker shaft and its mounting pedestals.
This previous method has been found to be unsatisfactory in practice, failing to provide consistently accurate setting of valve clearances. The present inventors have determined that this prior method does not take sufficient account of variations in the relative positions of the various elements of the valve drive train caused by backlash in the valve drive train and movement of the rocker arm during the setting process, and does not take sufficient account of variations in the dimensions of the valve drive train elements between individual valves of an engine and between different engines.
A method and an apparatus for setting a predetermined clearance in an internal combustion engine between a rocker arm and a rocker arm actuated engine component are disclosed. The rocker arm is rotatably mounted on a rocker shaft for reciprocating movement relative thereto, and the rocker arm has a first end located on a first side of the rocker shaft and a second end located on a second side of the rocker shaft. The first end of the rocker arm has an adjustment screw extending therethrough to act on an end of a push rod. The second end of the rocker arm is movable in a first, component-actuating, direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction and has a component engaging surface co-operating with a portion of the rocker arm actuated engine component. At least a portion of the rocker arm actuated engine component is biased in the second direction towards a first position and is movable against the bias in the first direction towards a second position.
In one aspect of this invention, a method for setting a predetermined clearance between a rocker arm and a rocker arm actuated engine component comprises the steps of (a) setting the rocker arm to a zero position and recording the zero position as a reference datum; (b) rotating the adjustment screw to adjust the position of the rocker arm to a first reference position; (c) rotating the adjustment screw through a reference angle and recording a corresponding second reference position thereof; (d) calculating a coefficient from the difference between the first and second reference positions and the reference angle; (e) using the coefficient to calculate an angular rotation of the adjustment screw corresponding to the predetermined clearance; and (f) rotating the adjustment screw on the basis of the calculated angular rotation to set the predetermined clearance relative to the reference datum.
In another aspect of this invention, an apparatus for setting a predetermined clearance between a rocker arm and a rocker arm actuated engine component comprises an electronic controller, a rocker arm actuator responsive to the electronic controller to selectively rotate the rocker arm relative to the rocker shaft, a rocker arm position sensor operably connected with the electronic controller to record with the electronic controller the position of the second end of the rocker arm, and an adjustment screw rotator responsive to the electronic controller to selectively rotate the rocker arm adjustment screw. The electronic controller is programmed to (a) a cause the rocker arm actuator to set the rocker arm to a zero position and record the zero position as a reference datum, (b) cause the adjustment screw rotator to rotate the adjustment screw to adjust the position of the rocker arm to a first reference position and then rotate the adjustment screw through a reference angle, (c) record a corresponding second reference position of the rocker arm, (d) calculate a coefficient from the difference between the first and second reference positions and the reference angle, (e) use the coefficient to calculate an angular rotation of the adjustment screw corresponding to the predetermined clearance, and (f) cause the adjustment screw rotator to rotate the adjustment screw on the basis of the calculated angular rotation to set the predetermined clearance relative to the reference datum.
Other features and aspects of this invention will become apparent from following description and accompanying drawings